This documentary does not tell the story of one of the greatest rappers alive. It tells the story of a young kid in Brooklyn who goes the wrong way, only to come back and make something of his life. The interviews are with mainly his mother and childhood friends, although his manager, a producer, and Sean Combs (Diddy, Puff, etc.) also make appearances. And they are all talking about Christopher, not Biggie.
My one big qualm with this strategy is that his music and influence becomes almost not important. There is some analysis of his music, but only in the context of him "trying to better himself." There is almost no mention of how much he influenced the hip-hop industry, or some deeper analysis of his lyrics. Ready To Die is probably one of the greatest rap albums ever written, but we only get a small taste of what it was. His influence was without question, and yet we are not exposed to how influential he really was.
Overall, it's an interesting documentary. But viewers are getting the story of Christopher Wallace, not Biggie. And left me wanting something more. If you are a fan of hip-hop and want a documentary about Biggie's lyrics and influence, look elsewhere. But if you don't mind understanding the man himself, watch it.
My one big qualm with this strategy is that his music and influence becomes almost not important. There is some analysis of his music, but only in the context of him "trying to better himself." There is almost no mention of how much he influenced the hip-hop industry, or some deeper analysis of his lyrics. Ready To Die is probably one of the greatest rap albums ever written, but we only get a small taste of what it was. His influence was without question, and yet we are not exposed to how influential he really was.
Overall, it's an interesting documentary. But viewers are getting the story of Christopher Wallace, not Biggie. And left me wanting something more. If you are a fan of hip-hop and want a documentary about Biggie's lyrics and influence, look elsewhere. But if you don't mind understanding the man himself, watch it.